SNOOKER: Stuart Bingham reached the last 16 of the first European tour event of the season in Latvia.

The Vange potter looked in good form at the Riga Open before eventually losing to Peter Ebdon 4-3.

The 38-year-old beat Hammad Miah 4-1 in his opening match, then got the better of Jimmy White 4-3.

He then crushed Ryan Day 4-0 before going out to Ebdon.

Bingham was not the only south Essex player in action in Latvia.

Southend’s Ryan Causton had a good run, beating Matthew Glasby 4-3 in round one and Ron Florax 4-1 in round two.

But he ran into the in-form Northern Irishman Mark Allen in round three and was beaten 4-0.

Zak Surety, from Langdon Hills, was the third south Essex potter in action, but he could not get past his first round match with Matthew Selt, who beat him 4-0.

Surety faces Joe Swail tomorrow morning in a qualifier for next month’s Shanghai Masters.